Sullivan County veterans groups plan Sept. 27 festival and stand down at SCCC

Howie, commander of AMVETS Post 50 in Sullivan County, said the post and local partners will hold a veterans festival and stand down Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Paul Gary Fieldhouse at Sullivan County Community College.

The event is intended to connect veterans with services: “We got 30 or 35 vendors coming in … all of them are related to servicing different things for veterans,” Howie said. He also said the VA medical center will attend and that musician Derek Stoner is scheduled to perform.

The festival is part of broader outreach described during the committee’s director’s report. Steve, Sullivan County Veterans Services director, said his office has expanded staff accreditation and cross‑agency ties designed to speed claims and outreach. “Our administrative assistant, April Barshau, has achieved accreditation by the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers and cross accreditation with DAV to provide a wider range of services to our local vets and surviving spouses,” Steve said.

Why it matters: Committee members and staff framed the fall event and related outreach as a way to address food insecurity, connection to VA care and program enrollment for veterans who have not previously used county services. The director reported ongoing wellness checks for elderly veterans and efforts to locate veterans who had not enrolled in VA health care.

Key service details and recent metrics provided to the committee:
- Festival: Sept. 27, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Paul Gary Fieldhouse, Sullivan County Community College; about 30–35 vendors confirmed.
- Food/clothing collection: staff and partners are acquiring shelf‑stable food and clothing for the event.
- Staff accreditation and operations: April Barshau achieved NACVSO accreditation and cross‑accreditation with DAV; full PIV access forthcoming.
- VA claims and processing: Steve told the committee the average wait time for VA disability claims fell from 141.5 days on Jan. 20, 2025, to 131.8 days on June 21, 2025, and that the VA completed more than 2,000,000 disability benefit claims in fiscal year 2025 by June.
- Mobile exam units: two contractors, QTC and LHI, operate mobile exam units in the area; requests for a mobile unit should be submitted with the claim, with a homebound provider letter when applicable.

The director also reviewed casework outcomes and routine service counts for the office through July 25, 2025. Transportation referrals for VA medical appointments (examples given): May — 4 to Albany, 39 to Castle Point, 22 local; June — 4 to Albany, 44 to Castle Point, 29 local. Burial statistics reported for the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery through 07/25/2025 were: veterans buried alone, 1,174; dependents, 146; veterans and spouses together, 686; total burials, 2,006 (30 more since December 2024).

Committee members asked how the office handles food insecurity referrals. Steve said staff keep a resource list of food banks and partner organizations and that the office coordinates emergency responses — sometimes arranging immediate food delivery and referrals to VA services and vehicle repair assistance when needed. The committee discussed formalizing sharing of that resource list with local food providers such as the Community Cupboard so community partners can refer veterans directly.

The director closed by inviting committee members and the public to the Sept. 27 stand down and festival and by noting continued outreach efforts to younger veterans following federal changes such as the PACT Act that have encouraged more recently discharged veterans to seek benefits.

Less critical details: the committee discussed parallel events (youth hunts, outreach through local conservation groups), and several volunteer organizations and volunteers were recognized for fundraising and outreach work in the county.